Improvement in dredging-machines



G'. MITCHELL. Dredging Machine.

No. 104,000. Patented July 5, 1070.

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-partgof this specification, in which Letters Patent No. 104,980, dated July 5, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN DREDG-ING--MACHINEYS The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gbvn Mrroiinnmof the city and county of Philadelphia and Statel of Pennsylvania,

have invented anew and useful Improvementin Dredging-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact ldescription thereof,

reference being had to the annexed drawing making Figure 1 is a front elevation-of my improved machine, showing the boat upon. whichA it is placed, the

frame-work which supports the chain of buckets, and

the gearing for driving them, the screws for elevating the saine, and the gearing for turning them.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on line x x of lig. 1, showing the construction ofthe sprocket-wheels around which the chain and buckets pass, the valves or doors in said buckets, and the knives or cutters which precede the buckets.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of one of the sprocketwheels. p

Figure 4 is a side view of one of the buckets,'to show the elongated slot in-its flange.

Corresponding letters refer to corresponding parts in the several iigures.

In operating dredging-machines as heretofore constructed, great diculty has been experienced in keep ing the chain to which the buckets or 'shovels are attached suiiicicntly tight to prevent them slipping upon the wheels around which they pass, and, further, from the fact that no adequate provision has been made to enable the buckets to readilyd accommodate themselves to thechordof the arc while the chain traverses the arc itself; and, further, from`the fact that no adequate provision has heretofore been made for cutting or loosening the earth just in advance of the buckets while they are being lled;1and still further lfrom the'fact that the arrangements for raising and Alowering the chain-bucketsaud the cutters have heretofore been inadequate.

My object in producing the within-described imi provements is to provide a remedy foi-the aboveennmemted dii'culties; and, to this end,

The invention consists in ythe construction of the sprocket-wheels over which the chain? which carries the buckets passes;vand,ffnrther, in the means described for allowing the' buckets to pass around or over said sprocketfwheels; and, further, in providing knives or cutters for operation' directly 1n advance of the buckets whilcthey are being tilled; and,'further, in-an improved method of raising and lowering the buckets andV the parts connected therewith; and, still further,'in the combination and arrangement ofv the'parts necessary to effect the above-named improvements. y

'1 o enable others skilled inthe artfto constructthe same,

The letter A in the drawing refers to a boat upon Awhich the elevator-may be placed, and onto or into which the contents of the buckets maybe discharged as they pass over the upper sprocket-wheel and assume the propel' position for discharging their contents, or

,such contents may be discharged upon an apron placed at a right angle, or at any other angle, to the boat, so that, by revolving such apron or the rollers around which it passes, said contents may be carried to any other boat for removal to any ldesired locality.

B B refer to posts, which are'iirmly att-ached to the end of the boat A or to the sides of a recess formed in the end thereof, they being placed at a slight-angle to the upper surface ot'such boat, andextending from the lower surface thereof to any required dist-ance above it, to'enable them to serve' as guides for the sliding frame 'which carries' the chain and buckets of the elevator.

C O refer to the side-barsof a sliding frame, which moves in grooves formed inthe posts B -B or upon ways attached thereto. This fi'ame has a cross-bar extending from one of its sides t0 the other, for the purposeof keeping said bars at the Aproper distance from each other. rIhis frame is to be of such a length as-to admit of its lower end being passed for any required distance below thelower surface of the boat, and-still extend up into the groove in the posts for a distance sufficient to give it thereqnired support therein.

D D refer to screws which are placed in a vertical position just outside and in rear ot' the posts B B, so that the nut or nuts through which they work may be attached to the sliding frame C C, in order that, as said screws are rotated, said frame and the parts attached thereto may be raised or lowered according as said screws are turnedin either direction.

Upon the lower ends of these screws, which rest in pillow-blocks which are iirml-y secured to the deck of the boat, and which have a curved arm projecting therefrom' tovsupport the screw and keep' it in position,

there are secured beveled pinions or wheels, D1, which mesh into and are driven by corresponding. wheels, D,

arranged upon a horizontal shaft, D2, to the end of' which a crank may'be attached for the `purpose of turning the same; or it may be driven by a pulley or gear-wheel'npon its end, which shall receive its motion from any prime mover.

D* refers to a vertical shaftwhich is stepped in the deck of .theboat or in a pillow-block secured thereto, from which pointit extends upward in a line with the lcenter of the frame C C, to. orA Vnearly tothe top-of posts B, itsupper end havingv a bearing in a' bracket `attached thereto.

Uponthis shaft the wheel D5 is placed, it being sup plied with a set-screw or feather to move in a-'spline 4 a hub for securing it upon the shaft.

formed in the shaft, so that it shall be compelled to rotate with said shaft, but so that it may move freely longitudinally thereon.

The hub of this wheel is provided with an annular' -groovefinto which the bifurcated end of an arm passes,

said arm being bolted to the frame vC in such a position as to keep the wheel D'li always in gear with the wheel D, soon to be described.

A pulley is to be placed upon this shaft D, or it may be a gear-wheel which will communicate to it motion which it may receive from any source.

D refers to a beveled wheel which is attached to the outer end of a horizontal shaft, which has its bearings in boxes attached to the sides O C of the sliding frame, its arrangement being such that it meshes with and is driven by the pinion Di'. E E refers to sprocket-wheels which are secured upon the shaft which carries the wheel D*i near the top'of the frame U C, and also upon another similar shaft near the lower end of such frame. Around these wheels the chains which carry the buckets pass, and in order that ample provision may be. made for keeping these chains properly tightened, these wheels are constructed in the manner shown in figs.. 2` and 3 of the drawing, it being as follows:

, Aiiiange or disk of the proper size is provided with To this disk vthe sheave over which the chains pass are secured by bolts, they being constructed in three or more sections and provided with elongated slots through which the bolts pass, so that, as the chain wears or becomes otherwise elongated, these sections can be set out, thus enlargs ing the diameterof the sheaves, and, as a consequence, tightening the chain. These sheaves maybe made of wood or of metal, hun when made of wood, they are to have upon their surfaces which are opposite the disk, a plate of metal, such platel being in sections, as above described, in order that they may be set out with the sheaves, each of such sections to be provided with projections, in the outer endsor portions of which are formed semicicular recesses, so arranged as to embrace the lower rod upon each bucket as it passes over such wheel, and thus prevent the possibility ot' the slipping of the chains upon the sheaves.

F F refer to chains, of which there are two, one upon each end of the buckets. These chains may be `ot' the ordinary flat-link kind, or of any. other which will permit the buckets-to be properly attached thereto. lhey are to' be joined vtogether in such a manner as to make them endless. 4

' F F refer to a series of buckets or elevators, which are to be of substantially the form shown iu the drawe ing, they beingmade of sheetor other metal, and prov pose set forth.

vof the arc while the chain traverses the arc itself.

These buckets may be provided with a valve, as shown in fig. 2, it being hinged in such a manner as .to cover an aperture formed in the outer plate of the bucket, and so as to fall, by its own gravity, before the empty bucket enters the water, thus leaving an open space f or the escape of any air which may bc carried down into the water by such bucket, the effect being to preveut concussion caused by the buckets entering the water.

G Grefer to a series of knives or cutters which are to be attached to the lower sprocket-wheel or to the shaft to which it is secured, they being of such form and arrangement as to pass between thechains F F just in advance of eachbucket, and thus cut or loosen the amount of earth which each bucket takes up as it passes the point where they are filled.

The operation of this machine will be apparent from the foregoing description of its construction.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The sprocket-wheel E, with its disk fixed to the shaft, and interior adjustable sections, ,constructed substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The construction and arrangement of the knives or cutters G G, upon the lower sprocket-wheel or its shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. lhe combination of the buckets F', provided with elongated apertures. in their flanges, and the rods or bolts which confine them tothe chains, or equivalent driving mechanism, substantiallyas and for the pur- 4. The combination and arrangement of the shaft D2, wheels D3 D, screws D, the nut or nuts through which such screws pass, and the sliding frame C C,

for raising and lowering the elevators, substantially as set fort-li.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication'in `the'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GOVE MITOHELL. Witnesses:

A. Rurrnn'r, B. EDW. J. Eins. 

